Combination refrigerator and vending machine



June 29,' 1943. M,`| sMiTH 2,322,980

, COMBINATION REFRIGERTOR AND VENDING MACHINE l F1166. Jan. 16. 1940 rfU JI mmm 3,; Y

Patented June 2,9, 1943 I y COMBINATION REFEIGERATR AND VENDING MACHINEMilton i.. smith, chicago, Iii.

Application January is, 1940, serial No. 314,159 1 2 claims. (ci. iszss)rhis invention relates to refrigerators in Zeneral, and moreparticularly to refrigerated dispensing machines adapted to dispensearticles, such as beverages, which must be kept comparatively cold, andarticles, such as chocolate, which must be cooled but not to as low atemperature as that to which the beverages are cooled.

It is one of the objects of the present invenr tion to provide arefrigerated beverage dispens-4 ing machine with means whereby astandard i temperature to whichl the beverage tobe disl5 pensed iscooled. g o

During the summer months, the merchandisf ing of confectionery, s uch aschocolate, is rather diiilcult due to the need for refrigeration. The

magnitude of sales of chocolate from coin con- Pf) trolled vendingmachines is generally insuflicient to warrant the'installation of arefrigerating unit,

and therefore such machines are seldom used during the hot summermonths. In accordance with;

the teachings of thepresent invention a standard i i coin controlledchocolate vending machine may be mounted on one of the walls of arefrigerated beverage dispensing machine, such as on the door thereof,and so arranged that the chocolate vendtemperature outside of therefrigerator varies, the temperature within the butter compartment mustalso vary. This is objectionable. In another arrangement the buttercompartment is mounted entirely within the refrigerator'and is warmed bya thermostatically controlled@ electric heater. This is objectionablebecause it increases the load on they refrigerator.. It is one of theobjects of the present invention to overcome both of the above mentioneddiillculties. This is accomplished, in accordance with the teachings/ofone embodiment of the present invention, byy provid- .ing theauxiliary/compartment at or near a wall of the refrigerator, and havingadequate insulation to prevent excessive cooling of that compart ment Inorder to maintain the auxiliary compartment at the requisitetemperature, regardless of how much higher the outside temperature maybe, there is provided an opening for permitting cold `air from theinterior of the refrigerator to gravitate into the auxiliarycompartment, and there is provided a thermostat responsive to thetemperature within the auxiliary compartment for closing said openingwhen the temperature drops below a fixed value for which the thermostathas been set, say 60. It is a further object of the present invention toprovide a refrigerr with an auxiliary compartment, as above set forth,which auxiliary compartment is lcarried ing machine is ooo/led by themain refrigerating 3-0'on the door `of the refrigerator and is arrangedmachine an amount suilicient for the maintenance of the chocolate inproper condition. This should be approximately 60. If the chocolate ismuch warmer than 60 it becomes soft and diilllateis appreciably below 60it tends to discolor.

It is a stili further object f the present'invention to provide arefrigerator, which may be of the non-vending type, for instance theordinary i domestic type` refrigerator, with a compartment that ismaintained at a fixed temperature below the temperature of the room butappreciably above the temperature within the main refrig erator chamber.Such compartment may be used for holding substances such as butterwhich, if refrigerated to the temperature required for the warmed byconduction of heat through the refrigerator wall so that the temperaturewithin the butter compartment is somewhat above that to be accessiblefrom outside the refrigerator` when .the refrigerator door is closed.This compartment may be used to hold confectionery, butter v or thelike, or, in commercial vending machines cult to handle. If thetemperature of the choco- 35 as above set forth, it may be used to holda coin controlled chocolate or other confection vending machine.

The attainment of the above. and further objects of the`presentinvention will be apparent from the following specification taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a Dart thereof.

In the drawing: i

Figure 1 is a front view, in partial section, of one type of coincontrolled beverage dispensing machine, to which the present inventionhas been applied; o

Figure 2 is a plan viewlof the machine of Figure l, with the door openi-Figure 3 is a back view of a portion of the door of Figure 2, saidview.being taken along the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure` 4 is -a partial sectional view through the door of arefrigerator illustrating vanother *within the rest ofthe refrigerator.Since the embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure is a fragmentary front view of the door illustrated in Figure 4.

Reference may now be had more particularly to Figure 1. At I isindicated a coin controlledv Since bottled beverage dispensingrefrigerator. the construction ofv the mechanism of this ymachine forms'no .part of the present invention,r a description thereof at this pointis unnecessary,

it being merely sumcient .to state that this view may represent thefront of any dispensing apparatus ofthe above mentioned type. A suitabletype of a construction is illustrated inmy pend- 'ing applications,Serial No. 294,103 or 294,104,

to which reference may be had for a'more detailed description. Therefrigerator includes a thermally insulated hinged front door 3 providedwith a handle l for opening the same, the handle 40 F.'such flow of airresults 'in a drop in tem.

peratureof the contents of the vending machine being locked by a keycontrolled lock 5.` A bottom compartment closed by a panel 1. is pro;

vided, within which an electrically operated compresser typerefrigerator unit of any well known f construction is located, forcooling the interior compartment of the refrigerator. Cooling coils are'mounted at any convenient place within the refrigerator chamber as, forinstance, at 8 within thechamber 9.

A rack I2 is mounted in the refrigerator compartment 9 of therefrigerator cabinet for receiv-v ing bottles I3 of beverages, saidbottles resting on inclined slides Il of the rack l2, as set forthmorefully in my pending applications above referred` to. -A coin Ibox I5having a coin-receiving slot I6 and a. coin return opening I1, whichcoin 32. As soon as the temperature reaches a value determined by thesetting of the'thermostats I3, which value may be ofthe order 0f 60 F.,the thermostats close the openings 40 and prevent further movement ofair. The thermostats thus regulate the temperature of the contents ofthe vending machine 32 and maintain it at a constant value regardless-ofthe outside temperature.l

' 'Ihe chocolate vending machine includes a coin receiving opening 45and a merchandise delivery opening 46, as is well known inthe art. Anystandard machine may be used for dispensing different kinds of candies,chocolate, chewing gum, etc., selectively, and a description of'themechanism thereof is therefore unnecessary.-

'Ihe thermostats 43 and the closures 42 may be in the casing of thevending machine 32, or they may be mounted directly in the door 3.

In Figures 4 and 5 I have shown a door of a standard commercial ordomestic refrigerator.

' The door is hinged to a refrigerator cabinet in refrigerator.

the usual manner. At 50 is illustrated the outside exposed surface ofthe door'and at 6| the surface of the door which is onV the inside ofthe Within this door is formed a com# partment 62 opening at the frontvside of the refrigerator and providedwith a hinged closure door`63;This door 63 may include a window of glass or other transparentmaterial, if-it is desired to maintain visibility :of the contentswithin the compartment 62. The back of the compartbox is of anypreferredconstruction as. for ill-`v l stance, as set forth in my abovereferred terap- 'plications, is located at the front ofthe refrigeratorcabinet, to one side ofthe door 3 thereof. A selector I8 having aselector handle I9 movable to any one of Aa. number of positions isprovided for controlling the selection of the beverage desired. Pivotedflaps are provided for thedelivery outlets for the different kinds oflbottled beverages determinedA by ,the selector I8.un

der the controlY of the coin box hi'A paper cuprdispensing At the frontside of the door 3 there is provided a recess 3l within whicha coincontrolled confection vending machine 32, of any desired construction,may be mounted. The door includes thermal insulation for preventing atoo great drop in temperature of the confectlnary vending machine 32.AThe nsulation'35 'may be somewhat. thinner than the rest of theYinsulation of the refrigerator to control the temperaturegradientthrough the door to the machine 32. The 'thickness of theinsulationat 35 ment 62 is thermally insulated, as indicated at 65. Anair passage opening 5B is'provided for establishing communication fromthe compartment -62 at the interior of the refrigerator cabinet, namely,to the refrigerated compartment f therefrigerator cabinet. A bi-metallicor V other thermostatic elementi!! controls the closure $1 for closingthe opening 66. The thermostaticelement may be set to maintain theopening 68- aeviee za is use vpro-Q45 is. such that when the outsidetemperature is in their open position thus permitting cold air patentstatutes I havehere shown-and described closed whenever the temperaturewithin the compartment 62 drops below a given value for which thethermostat is set. Whenever the temperature within the compartment 62rises above the set temperature the thermostatic elementA 68 opens thepassageway 66 and permits the cold air from within the-refrigerator toow into the com partment 62 for cooling the same. A coin con'- trolledvending machine for vending chocolate or other confection' may bemounted within the compartment 62 with the coin and delivery chuteaccessible upon opening of the door 63. The door 63 is "not locked butspring biased to its closed position. The door 50 maybe locked. In thecase of a domestic refrigerator the door 50 is not locked, and thecompartment 62 may serve to hold foods, such as butter or the like.

In compliance with the requirements of the a few preferred embodimentsof my invention.

from the interiorof the refrigerator to' 'now through the top openingl0, by gravity, and out the bottom opening 4I. Since the tem-- within'the refrigerator is approximately It Vis, howeve'r, to be understoodthat the inven l tion is not limitedto the precise constructions hereshown, the same being merely illustrative of the principles of theinvention. What I consider' new and desire tojsecure'by Letters Patentis:

l. In combination with a refrigerator having a door, means forming arecess in the' front surface of the 'door constituting a'n articlecompartment in the door adjacent to and accessible from the outside4 ofthe refrigerator while the door is closed, said compartment being warmedby the ambient medium at the outside of the door and cooled by theambient medium at the inside of the refrigerator, and heat insulatingmeans constituting a rear closure for said compartment for inhibitingbut not preventing the conduction of heat from the compartment to' theinterior of the refrigerator.

2. Injcombination with a'refrigerator having a door, means forming arecess in the front surface of the door constituting an articlecompartment in the door adjacent to andaccessible from 'the outside ofthe refrigerator while the door isy closed, said compartment beingwarmed 'by the ambient medium at the outside of the door and cooled bythe ambient medium at the inside of the refrigerator, there being anopening between the compartment and the interior of the refrigerator forpermitting the flow of cooling air from the interior of the refrigeratorinto said compartment, a closure for said opening, and means responsiveto the temperature within the comsaid opening, and thermostatically 1controlled means for controlling the closure.

4. In combination, a refrigerator box having a door for Vaccess into thebox, a coin controlled vending machine mounted on the door of therefrigerator box, whereby the contents of the vending machine 'on thedoor of the box are maintained at a temperature between that on theinside of the box and that on the outside of the box, there being anopening in the door for permitting the flow of cooling air from theinterior of the refrigerator box to the vending machine for cooling thecontents ,-thereof, a closure for said opening, thermostaticallycontrolled means response to the temperature of the vending machine forcontrolling said closure, said vending machine having a coin receivingopening and a side of the refrigerator box whereby commodities `i'romthe vending machine may be delivered from the refrigerator box while thedoor thereof remains closed.

5. In combination, a refrigerator box, a coin controlled vending machinemounted on the box and having a coin receiving opening and a merchandisedelivery opening both on,the outside of the box, said vending machinebeing warmed by 'merchandise delivery opening both on the outthe ambientmedium on the outside of the box and cooled by the air inside of the bx,heat insulation between the vending machine and the interior of the boxwhereby the contents of the vending machine are maintained at a temper--ature between that inside the box and that outside of the box, therebeing an openingin the box adjacent the vending machine for permittingcooling air from the box tonow to the vending machine, a closure forsaid opening, and thermostatically controlled means responsive to thetemperature of the vending' machine for controlling the closure.

6. In combination with a refrigerator having a door, means forming arecess in the front surface of the door constituting an articlecompartment in the door adjacent to and accessible from the outside ofthe refrigerator while the door is closed, said compartment being warmedby the ambient medium at the outside of the door and cooled by theambient medium at the inside of the refrigerator, heat insulating meansconstituting a rear closure for said compartment for inhibiting but notpreventing the conduction of heat from the compartment 'to the interiorof the refrigerator, said heat insulating means being in an amount whichis a substantial fractional part of the total effective thickness of theinsulation of the refrigerator door, there beinga communicating airpassageway between the compartment and the, interior of the refrigeratorfor permitting the flow of cooling air into the compartment, andvariable means for controlling the flow of air through the passageway.

'7. A refrigerator cabinet including a main refrigerating compartmentand means forming a secondary' compartment having one side thereofcooled by heat conduction with` the main compartment, said one sidebeing of insulation to linhibit but not entirely prevent the cooling ofthe second compartment by conduction of heat" through said side to themain compartment, said second compartment having also at least one otherside warmed by the ambient medium outside' of the cabinet whereby thetemperature within ,the secondary compartment is between that inside thecabinet and that outside the cabinet, an outer side of the secondarycompartment opening on the outside of the cabinet to permit 4access tothe secondary compartment while maintaining the main compartmentsubstantiallyclosed and means controlled by the temperature in the'secondary compartment for increasing the rate at which the maincompartment cools the secondary compartment.

8. Means for vending two types oi' commodities that requirerefrigeration to different temperatures which comprises, a refrigeratorcabinet having a main refrigerator compartment for receivingone of thecommodities and having. a second compartment in a' wall of the cabinetfor receiving the other commodity, said compartments having outlets fordischarging commodities therefrom to the outside of the cabinet, meansfor refrigerating the main compartment, said second compartment beingcooled by the ambient medium of the first compartment and warmed by theo utsideatmosphere, and means for inhibg iting the rate of cooling thesecondcompartment whereby the temperature thereof is maintained abovethat of the main compartment and below that of the surroundingoutsideatmosphere, and means controlled by the temperature in the secondcompartment for 4increasing the rate at which the main compartment coolsthe second compartment.

9. In combination with a refrigerator having a.

door, means forming arecess in thefront surface of the door constitutingan article compartment in the door adjacent to and'accessible from theoutside of the refrigerator while the door is closed, saidcornpartmentbeing warmed by the ambient medium at the outside of the door and cooledby the ambient medium at theV insideA of the refrigerator, heatvinsulating means constituting a rear closure for said compartment forinhibiting but not preventing the conduction of heat from thecompartment-to the interior ofthe refrigerator, said vheat insulatingmeans being in an amount which is a substantial fractional part voi! thetotal effective thickness of the insulation of the refrigerator door,there being communicating. 'air eways between the compartmentand theinterior of the refrigerator near the top of, the compartment and nearlthe bottom of the compartment vand out of vertical alignment with oneanother forA permitting the circulation of cooling air through thecompartment, and

' thermostatic controlled means for controlling the ambient medium atthe outside of the door and cooled by the ambient medium at the insideof the refrigerator, there being an opening betweenv the compartmentandthe interior of the refrigeraior for permitting the ow of cooling airfrom the interior .of the refrigerator intov said compartment, a closurefor said opening, and thermal responsive means controlling opening ofthe closure in response to a rise in temperature in the comparnnentabove' a predetermined value to thereby accelerate the cooling of thecompart- 1 ment.,-

11. A refrigerator cabinet including a refrig-v eratedcompartment 'adoor, means: forming a second compartment carried by the door y assaoeoand having at least one side thereof warmed by the ambient mediumoutside of the 4refrigerator cabinet whereby the temperature within thesecond compartment'is between that inside the cabinet and that outsidethe cabinet, there being -a communicating opening between thecompartment and the interior of the cabinet for the iiow of cooling airinto the compartment, a closure for said opening, and thermal responsivemeans for controlling the opening of the closure in response Ato a risein temperature in the compartment above a predetermined value to therebyaccelerchine.

ate the cooling of the' compartment.

12. In combination, a refrigerator box, a coin controlled vendingmachine mounted on the box, said vending machine being warmed by theambient medium on the outside of the box and cooled by the air inside ofthe box, heat insulation between the vending machine and the interior ofthe box whereby the contents of the vending machine are maintained at atemperature above that ins1de the box, there being an opening in theheat insulation for permitting a direct transfer of airrom the interiorof the box -into cooling relation to the vending machine, 'a

closure for said opening, and'thermal means responsive to thetemperature of the vending machine for controlling opening of saidclosure to control the rate of cooling of the vending ma-

